Producer price indices in February 2005

According to Statistics Finland, producer price
indices rose by between 1.5 and 5.8 per cent in the year to
February. The biggest increase was recorded in import prices, which
was particularly attributable to higher prices of crude oil, basic
chemicals, iron, steel and ferro-alloys. The rise of import prices
was curbed by lower prices of electrical products and
pharmaceutical preparations.

From January to February producer price indices rose by 0.5 to
1.2 per cent. The import price index increased most, by 1.2 per
cent, and least the producer price index for manufactured products,
by 0.5 per cent. The rise of import prices was principally due to
higher prices of crude oil, oil products, basic chemicals and other
metal ores. Producer prices for manufactured products were chiefly
raised by higher prices of oil products, pulp, paper and
paperboard.

Month-on-month and year-on-year changes in
Producer Price Indices in February 2005